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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
John Deere was selected as a 2024 Campus Forward Award Winner for their unwavering commitment to seeking out and hiring early career talent and investments in nurturing and retaining the next generation of diverse talent. Please see below for the highlights of their approach to early career recruitment.
Innovative Use of Technology
John Deere embraces technology to elevate the recruiting and internship experiences for students. Our core recruiting approach includes attending both virtual and in-person career fairs, information sessions, leadership panels, DEI events, and sponsoring hackathons. John Deere personalizes recruiting efforts for candidates by utilizing targeted digital marketing, customized communication through technology platforms such as Eightfold and accommodating students’ schedules by virtual interview options. Customized technology is used to communicate all facets of the intern experience including onboarding, all intern experience activities, and offboarding.
Overarching Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
John Deere takes pride in having a diverse and inclusive workforce. Early talent students help build the foundation of underrepresented talent at John Deere. The early talent team has built a comprehensive DEI strategy to include recruiting at targeted HSI and HBCU universities, strengthening and expanding relationships with professional organizations, and implementing programs such as the buddy program and diverse leader mentor to establish one-on-one relationships with students. Once a diverse professional joins the John Deere team, they have a variety of support in place to ensure a strong employee experience. Some of the professional offerings include DEI training, mentorship with leaders, employee resource groups, support of professional affiliation, and career coaching.
Impactful Internship Program
John Deere's most recent intern survey showed that interns experienced inclusion, were assigned impactful work, had strong support from managers and their teams, had autonomy and were empowered to learn and loved the John Deere culture. The company offers interns hybrid options for their summer experience, which allows for flexibility for work-life balance. All interns have onsite experiences for hands-on learning. The company also provides opportunities for professional development, which includes resume review, presentation skills development, and classes to help sharpen business acumen and interpersonal skills. To round out the intern experience, interns are encouraged to attend a 2-day in-person all intern conference, leadership panels, networking and volunteering events, resulting in a sense of belonging and community.